Swimming has to be one of the best ways to unwind and work out. And while heading to the pool and swimming lengths has plenty of health benefits, it never hurts to throw in a few extra exercises to make sure you’re working every muscle group and really getting the most of your pool time.

Pool exercises are not only a fantastic addition to your regular swimming routine, but they’re also a great alternative to swimming when recovering from an injury. If you are on your very own road to recovery, ease back into exercise by building up your strength in the pool – the water will support your joints and soothe your body while providing all-round resistance to help you strengthen your muscles faster than you would on dry land. So, what are good pool exercises to try? Here are some of our favourites to get you started.

Oh, and in case you fancy ditching the local pool for somewhere a little warmer, we have some incredible swimming pools at our beachclubs. Did we mention the views?

Bicycle and jog

Bicycle - This one’s a real ab burner. Get your heart pumping with this easy exercise. Simply lean back against the edge of the pool and hold on with your arms. Then ‘pedal’ your legs out in front of you, just like you would if you were riding a bike. Keep your movements controlled and your abs engaged, minimising as much body movement as possible. Burn, incoming – nobody said pool exercises for abs were easy!

Jog - Runners will love this easy-to-master swimming pool exercise. All you need to do is jog on the bottom of the pool. Easy, right? You can jog on the spot or try some widths of the pool where the water is a comfortable depth. This is a gentle way to get back into running after a break. The water reduces the impact on your joints as your muscles get used to doing their thing again. It’s also an awesome way to train with extra resistance, perhaps if you’re preparing for a race. You can buy ankles weights to boost the resistance further, as well as specialist water-running shoes for added grip.

Flutter kick and cannonball

Flutter kick - If you’re looking for pool exercises to lose weight, this is a great one for getting your heart rate up. You might even remember it from swimming lessons as a kid!

Lie on your front, holding onto the edge of the pool and kick your legs behind you as fast as you can. Keep them underwater for maximum resistance and aim for small, controlled kicks at the fastest pace you can manage. You can also hold onto a float or pool noodle if you prefer.

Cannonball - Sadly, we’re not talking those splashy holiday dive bombs, but the cannonball is one of the most effective pool exercises for abs of steel. Grab your noodle and head over to the deep end of the pool.

Wrap your noodle under your arms so it curls around your upper back. Hold on with both hands and stretch your legs downwards so you’re floating vertically. Point your toes, engage those abs and slowly bring your knees up to your chest. Hold for a few seconds, then gently straighten your legs.

Get ready for the burn. Serious burn. You’ll hate us for it at first, but you’ll thank us later.

Noodle plank and bike

Noodle plank - A strong core will improve your performance in any sport, as well as to help prevent annoying aches and pains. Give yours a workout by using a pool noodle to get into the plank position – that’s creating a straight line from your heels to your shoulders.

Keep your toes on the bottom of the floor and hold your noodle with both hands directly underneath your shoulders. Hold for as long as you can, it should be longer than you can manage on land.

Noodle bike - Get ready for another one of our favourite pool exercises with noodles – this is a fun one. Pop your pool noodle between your legs so you’re sitting upright on it like a bike and use your legs to pedal around the pool. If you’re swimming with family, children will love joining in on this – we like to get some noodle bike races going.

Mix up this exercise by steering your noodle bike around using just your arms, keeping your legs still, for an excellent upper body workout.

Lunges and squat jumps

Lunges - Start with your feet hip-width apart then step one foot out in front of you, bending your leg at the knee. Make sure your knee is behind your toes, not hanging over them. Push up through your leg to return to your starting position, then repeat with the other leg.

This is a brilliant way to stretch out tight, sore hip flexors and strengthen your glutes and quads. Keep your upper body upright and engage your core. Oh, and make sure the water isn’t too deep! Or you will be blowing bubbles.

Squat jumps - Another fantastic exercise for strengthening your legs and improving any muscle imbalances. Start with your legs fairly wide apart, bend at the knee until you’re in a squat position (again, keep your knees slightly behind your toes) and then spring up into a jump. Make your jump as fast and high as you can.

This exercise is really effective at building explosive propulsion power in your legs, making it the ideal pre-holiday prep for skiers and snowboarders. Mix it up a bit by varying your starting position – you could try ‘the frog’ by keeping your heels together and your knees bent outwards or a simple standing position powering up into a tuck jump.

Bicep curls and side raises

Bicep curls - You will need some underwater hand weights or dumbbells for this one. Some pools have them but if not, they’re easily available online.

You want to be in the water up to shoulder height. Now stand with a weight in each hand, elbows bent at 90 degrees and tucked in next to your body. Slowly bend your arms, lifting your weights up towards your shoulders and squeezing your biceps. The water will add extra resistance in all directions, helping you work all of your arm muscles.

Side raises​​​​​​ - ​Target your shoulder muscles with another weights-based exercise. Stand with the water up to your neck, a weight in each hand and your feet hip-width apart. Let your arms hang down by your sides. Then slowly lift your straightened arms up to the side until they are level with your shoulders before lowering them back down to your sides.

Yes, you might look a little like an air traffic controller for this one, but we reckon we passed the point of feeling silly with the noodle bike…

And that wraps up our top 10 swimming pool exercises. Now it’s over to you: time to feel the burn and enjoy them! And if you find yourself on a Neilson holiday wanting some swimming tuition by our qualified instructors, go for it! That’s what our holidays are all about.

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